Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-31
DAILY HERALD.
STARTLING ACCIDENT.
A Party of Fifteen Over
turned in a Coach.
GENERAL MILES INJURED.
Several Others Bruised and
Badly Shaken Up at
Santa Monica.

An accident, which came very near
being disastrous, happened yesterday
afternoon near the Hotel Arcadia at
Santa Monica. In the early part of
the day a party of fifteen consisting, of
General and Mrs. Miles, Colonel and
Mrs. Drum, Mrs. Governor Stoneman,
Miss Stoneman, j. ]. Mellus, Mrs.
Daponte, Lieutenant Dapray, Thomas
Dapray, Lieutenant McCaleb, Mrs.
Colonel j. II. Dobbins and w. l.. Ban
ming, started for ride about the coun-
try in Captain Banning's six-in-hand
coach. After enjoying very pleas
ant drive they started on their return
from Bakers Reservoir, north of San
ia Monica. j. J, Mellus handling the
ribbons. When the hill was reached
leading down towards the depot the
horses were broughtto a walk at which
pace they started to decend the grade.
1t was necessary at this point to go
around the depot building on the
westerly road leading to the hotel,
and the impetus given to the coach
was such as to give it con-
siderable speed by the time the
bottom of the decline was reached.
As the coach reached the road Mr..
Mellus noticed buggy containing two
ladies directly in front of the horses,
and for some unaccountable reason
these ladies stopped the buggy. 1t
was impossible to stop the coach so
quickly, and the only alternatives
were to run the horses into the buggy
or to endeavor to pass around it. MIR.
Mellus chose the latter in preference
to causing the certain death of the
ladies in the buggy, and as the coach
swerved the wheels struck rut and
overturned the vehicle, throwing out
its occupants. The ladies, who had
grasped the situation earlier than the
gentlemen, jumped as the coach
turned over and thus escaped serious
injury. The gentlemen were not so
lucky, however, for in falling General
Miles sustained fracture of two of
the small bones of his right ankle.
Colonel Drum received a bad cut on
his forehead beside several bruises.
J. J. Mellus was bruised in several
places. Lieutenant Dapray's ankles
were sprained and Lieutenant Mecca
leb sprained his wrists as he
fell. Miss Stoneman was quite
severely bruised, but the other
ladies' escaped with slight bruises
and the nervous shock naturally con-
sequent upon such an affair. The
front wheels became loosened from
the coach as it overturned, and the
horses, taking fright from such an un-
usual occurrence, started in a wild
run up the hill at the top of which
was q carriage containing four ladies',
Mrs. NJ. III. Kimball, Mrs. Preuss.
wife OF Postmaster Pruess, Mrs. Schu-
macher and Mrs. Germain. The
horses dashed into this carriage, over
turning it, but luckily the ladies, with
the exception of Mrs. Kimball, who
was not seriously bruised, escaped
miraculously. The horses continuing
in their mad flight ran along the road
dragging the wheels after them, along
the track to the bridge between the
town and the Arcadia Hotel, when
they became entagled in their harness
and one of them in its struggles to get
free was impaled on piece of water
pipe. The other animals were
scratched and slightly injured.
While all this was taking place
the people in the vicinity and at the
hotel which was not far distant ran to
the scene of the accident and rendered
the injured and frightened people all
the assistance in their power. Medi-
cal aid was telegraphed and telephoned
for to this city and in few minutes
after word was rece we'd Drs. kurtz
and Worthington were on their way
to Santa Monica. The news when
received here created quite an excite
ment on account of the prominence OF
the people concerned. General Miles,
who was reported to have been the
most seriously injured, has endeared
himself to the people both of this
State and of New Mexico and Arizona
and he has always taken the greatest
interest in the welfare of this part OF
The state. This fact caused great con-
Germ as regards his injuries, and while
ieploring the accident, relief was
felt when it was found that his in
iuries were not so serious as was at
first supposed. w. l.. Banning is also
a very popular man and his team
is we'll known all over this
part of the state. They are full
blooded and were selected with great
care. Captain Banning has always
managed them with the greatest skill
and j. j. Mellus, who was driving
Yesterday, is noted as one of the most
skillful handlers of the ribbons. From
the statement as given above it is diili-
cult to see how the accident could
have been avoided and had the two
ladies in the buggy known what was
coming behind them, they would not
have obstructed the way. A veterinary
surgeon went to Santa Monica last
night to attend to the injured animals
and later an army ambulance was
sent down from the army headquar-
ters. Nothing definite could be learned
last night as to the extent OF the in
iuries OF Mrs. Kimball, who was i'm
mediately taken to her home.